Common cat diseases and health problems can help their owners feel better emotionally, lift their spirits, and generally make them feel better, according to research. Cats are also recognized with encouraging socializing among older persons and people with physical or mental disabilities. In around 40 million American homes, cats are kept as pets.
Although cats are wonderful pets, owners should be aware that occasionally they might harbor dangerous microbes that can make people sick with everything from mild skin infections to serious illnesses.cat diseases Washing your hands properly after touching, caring for, or feeding cats is one of the best things you can do to avoid getting sick.
You are less likely to become ill by handling, petting, or owning a cat if you provide your cat regular veterinarian care and abide by the Healthy People guidelines.
Common cat diseases and health problems
Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter spp.)
Campylobacter are bacteria that can make people and animals sick with a disease called campylobacteriosis.
How it spreads: People can contract Campylobacter infection through consuming tainted food or water or by coming into contact with the feces (poop) of infected animals, including cats. Campylobacter can sometimes infect you through an open wound, but it usually spreads when individuals don’t wash their hands after handling animals, food, feces, toys, or beds. Cats frequently get an infection from eating tainted raw meat, and they then pass the bacteria in their waste.
Who is at risk: Anyone can contract a Campylobacter infection, but those under the age of five, persons over 65, and those with compromised immune systems are more likely to develop a serious disease.
Cats may appear healthy and exhibit no symptoms of Campylobacter infection, or they may have bloody diarrhea.
Cats may appear healthy and exhibit no symptoms of Campylobacter infection, or they may have bloody diarrhea.
Cat Scratch Disease (Bartonella henselae)
Bartonella henselae and, less frequently, other Bartonella species are the bacteria that cause cat scratch disease (CSD).
How it spreads: Cats can contract the disease through blood transfusions, battles with other sick cats, or flea bites. The germs can spread to people when they lick or scratch an infected cat.
Young cats (under 1 year old), stray cats or cats living in shelters, cats who are currently or have previously had flea infestations, and cats who hunt are those who are most at risk. Anyone can contract CSD, although those under the age of 15 and those with compromised immune systems are more likely to become ill than healthy individuals.
cat diseases
The most vulnerable cat populations include kittens (under a year old), stray or shelter cats, cats with flea infestations now or in the past, and cats that hunt. Everyone has the potential to get CSD, although children under the age of 15 and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to getting sick than healthy people.
Human symptoms include a tiny, raised, solid lump at the location of the scratch and swollen lymph nodes close to the scrape. These symptoms are caused by the CSD bacteria. 1-3 weeks after exposure, this happens (for example, a cat scratch or lick).
Cat Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)
Through the consumption of infected fleas, the cat tapeworm is a parasite that can infect humans, dogs, and cats. Although this parasite is widespread in cats, it rarely makes pets or people sick.
The tapeworm is transferred when an infected flea is ingested by a cat or human. When cats brush themselves, fleas may be ingested. Pet flea treatment can assist avoid infection.
Who is in danger: Being infected by this tapeworm requires swallowing a flea, thus the chance of contracting it is incredibly rare. The majority of cases involve kids.
Dog symptoms: Tapeworms often do not damage cats and do not result in disease. Sometimes the parasite can be identified by looking for tapeworm segments that resemble rice crawling close to the anus or in recently excreted feces (poop). A dog may lose weight if it has a severe infection.
Symptoms in people: Dipylidium infection in persons is uncommon and typically has no symptoms. Sometimes the infection can be identified by looking for tapeworm segments that resemble rice crawling close to the anus or in recently-pooped material.
Cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium spp.)
The parasite Cryptosporidium, also known as Crypto for short, is the source of the sickness known as cryptosporidiosis, which is contracted by unintentionally ingesting an infected person’s or animal’s feces.
How it spreads: After coming into contact with an infected person or animal, crypto spreads through swallowing excrement carrying the germ or through poop in contaminated food or water. cat diseases For instance, ingesting potable water for recreation, consuming unclean water from a lake or river, or touching their mouth after handling an infected animal can all result in Crypto infection.
Who is at risk: Anyone can contract Crypto, but those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable, especially to serious illness.
Signs in cats: Crypto in cats is rare, but sometimes cats can carry the parasite without showing any signs of illness.
People can have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, cramps, and copious, watery diarrhea. Usually, the symptoms go away after 1-2 weeks.
Giardiasis (Giardia duodenalis)
Giardia is a parasite that can be found on surfaces, in food, water, or soil that has come into contact with human or animal waste.
cat diseases
How it spreads: Giardia is spread either drinking contaminated water or eating food that has been contaminated with the parasite’s tiny excrement after coming into contact with an infected person or animal.
cat diseases
Who is in danger: Giardia can be contracted from cats with very little risk. Typically, the specific strain of Giardia that sickens humans is not the same one that affects cats. Giardia can affect everyone, although the following populations are at higher risk:
- International travelers
- People who have contact with children in diapers
- People who have contact with poop during sexual contact with someone who is infected with Giardia
- People who drink untreated water from a river, lake, stream, or spring
- People who swim in natural bodies of water
Signs in cats: Cats with Giardia may have diarrhea, greasy stools, or become dehydrated.
Giardia symptoms in people might include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, and stomach pain. It is possible to be infected, nevertheless, yet not show any symptoms of sickness.
Hookworm (Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Ancylostoma braziliense, Uncinaria stenocephala)
Small worms called hookworms can spread when they come into touch with contaminated sand or soil.
How it spreads: People who walk barefoot, kneel, or sit on ground contaminated with infected animal excrement are at risk of contracting hookworm illness. Cats can contract the parasite by consuming it in the environment or through the milk or colostrum of their mothers.
Anyone is susceptible to contracting hookworm illness.
Signs in cats: Hookworm infections can be deadly and can cause anemia and weight loss in kittens.
Human hookworm infection symptoms include an itching reaction and the development of a red squiggly line where the parasite larvae have penetrated the skin. Animal hookworms don’t survive in an infected person like human hookworms do, therefore symptoms usually go away within 4-6 weeks without medical treatment.
MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
Common germs like Staphylococcus aureus are typically found on both human and animal skin. MRSA is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has developed an antibiotic resistance. Skin infections, pneumonia (lung infections), and other illnesses can all be brought on by MRSA.
cat diseases
MRSA can spread through direct contact between humans and animals (touching). MRSA can be carried by cats who are healthy and transferred to people.
Anyone is susceptible to contracting an MRSA infection.
Cats can develop cutaneous, respiratory, and urinary tract infections but seldom exhibit symptoms of MRSA infection.
People’s symptoms: The majority of MRSA carriers don’t exhibit any symptoms. cat diseases For individuals who get an MRSA infection,the most common type is a skin infection. If left untreated, MRSA can rarely spread to the lungs or bloodstream and become life-threatening.
Yersinia pestis, a bacteria that may infect humans and animals, is what causes the plague. Fleas can spread the infection to rats and other small animals in the western United States. People and animals (dogs and cats) who are bitten by infected fleas are at risk. Cats and dogs are both capable of contracting the plague and passing it on to people.
It spreads primarily through flea bites on humans and animals, but it can also be contracted through contact with animals that have the plague. A sick cat’s coughing up infectious droplets into the air can also expose people to the disease.
Who is in danger: Those who reside in or visit the western United States, especially in rural areas, may run the danger of being hurt. Aside from that people with animal contact (for example, sleeping with pets) and hunters may be at risk
Signs in cats: Cats are particularly vulnerable to the plague. Fevers, poor appetites, lack of energy, and swollen lymph nodes on their necks that can resemble wounds are some of the symptoms of plague in cats. Cats who have plague pneumonia may cough or have breathing problems. To lower the risk of human illness, owners should limit human contact with sick pets and seek veterinarian care as soon as possible. cat diseases
The most prevalent kind of plague in humans is bubonic plague. Bubonic plague symptoms include painful, enlarged lymph nodes, high fever that appears out of nowhere, chills, headache, and weakness. More severe symptoms may result from other types of plague, such as septicemic plague and plague pneumonia.
The virus that causes the severe neurologic condition rabies is primarily transmitted through animal bites. Owners of cats should vaccinate them against rabies.
How it spreads: Typically through bites or scratches, rabies spreads by contact with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal.
Who is at risk: Although the disease is still prevalent in wild animals including bats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks, rabies is rare in the United States due to effective animal control and immunization programs. If you come into contact with an animal that is diseased, you or your pet could be at danger for contracting rabies.
Signs in cats include rapid behavioral changes and gradual paralysis, which are common in cats with rabies. Additionally, they might become restless, start to sweat, or even start attacking other animals, people, or things. Animals with rabies usually pass away a few days after their symptoms appear.
Individuals may experience rabies symptoms days to months after exposure. If you have been bitten by a cat or another animal, you should wash the wound straight away and get medical attention right away since once symptoms start to show, it is nearly always too late to treat the condition.
Ringworm is an infection brought on by a fungus that can affect both human and animal skin, hair, and nails.
Ringworm spreads either directly from an infected person or animal (touching) or from the environment.
Anyone is susceptible to developing ringworm.
Cats that have ringworm often have little patches of hair loss around their ears, faces, or legs as well as scaly or crusty skin. However, some cats may not exhibit any symptoms at all. The most frequent victims are kittens.
Human ringworm infections typically cause itching and can affect practically any portion of the body. The skin may become red, scale, crack, or develop a ring-shaped rash. If the hair, beard, or scalp are infected,may fall out. Infected nails can become discolored, thick, or could crumble.
Toxocariasis is an ailment that is brought on by the parasite known as roundworm. Common cat diseases and health problems Cats frequently have roundworms in their intestines.
Cats excrete roundworm eggs in their feces, which is how it spreads. By ingesting roundworm eggs from the environment, such as cat poop-contaminated earth, people and cats can contract roundworms.
Who is in danger: Roundworms can infect anyone at any time.
Cat sickness symptoms include minor diarrhea, dehydration, a rough coat, and a pot-bellied appearance. Kittens normally don’t show signs of sickness.
Roundworms in people can cause two different illnesses, according on their symptoms. When roundworm larvae travel to the eye, it develops into ocular toxocariasis, which can result in vision loss, eye inflammation, or retinal damage. Usually, just one eye is impacted. When roundworm larvae migrate to different body organs (such as the liver, lungs, or central nervous system), a condition known as visceral toxocariasis develops. This condition might result in fever, exhaustion, coughing or wheezing, or abdominal pain.
Salmonellosis (Salmonella spp.)
Salmonella germs, which are most frequently spread through contaminated food, are what cause salmonellosis. Salmonella can also transfer from humans to cats and from humans to other humans.
People can contract the disease through eating tainted food or by coming into touch with animal feces. Salmonella can infect cats when they consume infected rodents, birds, or pet food, particularly raw pet food.
Who is at risk: Anyone can contract a Salmonella infection, but those under the age of five, persons over 65, and those with compromised immune systems are more likely to develop a serious disease.
Cat symptoms: Adult cats often don’t exhibit symptoms of infection. Cats who are infected could develop diarrhea.
Human symptoms include cramping in the stomach, fever, and diarrhea. In most cases, symptoms appear 6 hours to 4 days after infection and continue 4 to 7 days.
Sporotrichosis (Sporothrix spp).
An infection known as sporotrichosis is brought on by an environmental fungus.
How it spreads: The fungus usually enters the body through a cut or scrape, but it has also been linked to animal bites or scratches, notably those from cats.
Anyone is susceptible to contracting sporotrichosis, but those who touch plant material (such hay, moss, or roses) or come into contact with diseased animals are at a higher risk. People who have compromised immune systems are more susceptible to infection, especially disseminated diseases.
Cats with sporotrichosis may not exhibit any symptoms or exhibit severe sickness. Small draining wounds that later become elevated lumps when the surface is worn away are frequently the first symptoms. The condition may then get worse.
People’s symptoms of sporotrichosis vary depending on the fungus’s growth location.
Cutaneous (skin) form: 1–12 weeks after exposure, a tiny, painless lump first appears. The bump, which may be red, pink, or purple, enlarges until it resembles an open sore or ulcer that heals very slowly. The original bump may be followed by others.
Internal organs and bones are both impacted by the illness in its disseminated form.
Symptoms of the pulmonary form include coughing, breathlessness, chest pain, and fever.
The disseminated and pulmonary forms can be very serious and sometimes deadly.
Pets are susceptible to infections spread by ticks, such as Lyme disease, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and other illnesses. A veterinarian should be consulted by pet owners to determine the best tick prevention methods for their animals. The risk of tick-borne illnesses for both you and your pets can be decreased by treating pets for ticks.
The bite of an infected tick is the primary method of transmission for tick-borne diseases. Small amounts of saliva are secreted by the tick into the animal’s or person’s skin during the feeding process.
Who is in danger: Tick exposure is a possibility for people and animals who spend time in tick habitat (grassy, forested, or brushy environments). Ticks may be present on cats’ ears, eyelids, collars, under their front legs, between their back legs, and between their front legs.
Pet symptoms: Depending on the type of infection, pets may or may not exhibit symptoms of a tick-borne disease.
People’s symptoms of tick-borne illnesses might vary, but they typically include fever, chills, body aches, and occasionally a rash. Some tick-borne illnesses can be fatal or extremely serious.cat diseases If you have been exposed to tick habitat or have been bitten by a tick and exhibit any of these symptoms, consult a healthcare professional.
Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii)
Common cat diseases and health problems A parasite that can be found in soil, water, meat, or the feces of infected animals, especially cats, causes the disease toxoplasmosis.
How it spreads: Toxoplasmosis can be contracted by eating undercooked meat or shellfish or by coming into touch with cat litter. By consuming infected rodents, birds, or other small animals, cats catch the disease. Once the parasite has shed, it contaminates the surroundings or the cat’s litter box by dispersing in the cat’s feces. Consuming tainted food or water can cause an infection in a person. People can contract the illness if they don’t wash their hands after touching cat waste or cleaning a cat’s litter box.
Who is in danger: Toxoplasmosis can affect anyone, but those with compromised immune systems are more prone to have severe sickness. Infected pregnant women can transmit the parasite to their unborn child, which may cause birth abnormalities.
Cats with toxoplasmosis rarely show symptoms, but they might continue to excrete the parasite in their stools for up to three weeks after becoming infected.
People with toxoplasmosis often don’t exhibit any symptoms, though some may experience mild flu-like symptoms or, less frequently, develop ocular illness. Toxoplasmosis can cause more severe problems, such as brain damage, in people with compromised immune systems. Due to the possibility of birth abnormalities, pregnant women who may have been exposed should speak with their doctor.
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
cat diseases Francisella tularensis bacteria are the cause of the illness tularemia. Although it can infect dogs and cats, it is primarily seen in small mammals like rabbits and rodents.
The bacteria can spread by tick bites, contact with infected animals, breathing it in, contaminated food or drink, and breathing infected animal feces. Cats can contract the disease from tick bites, eating or killing infected rodents or small mammals, or both. Infections can also spread to people through cat bites and scratches.
Anyone is susceptible to contracting tularemia, but those who spend a lot of time in the great outdoors, go hunting, or prepare and butcher wild wildlife are more likely to come into contact with the F. tularensis bacteria.
Signs in cats include fever, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, anorexia, and yellowing of the eyes.
People can get tularemia in a number of different ways. The most typical symptoms of infection are fever, ulceration, and swollen lymph nodes. Chills, headaches, joint discomfort, muscular aches, and weakness are some other symptoms. The respiratory system, throat, and eyes can all become infected with the F. tularensis bacteria.
Common cat diseases and health problems
